Bedminster Cricket Club Sponsored By: Club Info Statistics Members Misc Bedminster 2nd XI vs. Long Ashton 2nd XI Played at The Clanage on Saturday 7th May 2005 The new league season was greeted by sunshine at The Clanage. Unfortunately the reception committee also included a bitter wind which whipped down the Clifton Gorge, causing the spectator to reach alternately for sunhats and blankets. Paul Pillinger, standing in for Mike Gallop who was recovering from a knee operation, contrived to continue the fine traditions of the first season by losing the toss and being asked to bat first on a biscuit coloured track. Local rivals Long Ashton providing the opposition. The erratic nature of the weather clearly had an effect on the Long Ashton team with the first two deliveries of the ball barely landing on the cut strip. Once the bowlers managed to locate the wicket, Bedminster’s openers Pillinger and Darren Weeks responded in kind by locating the middle of the bat and the boundary line in quick succession. With boundaries coming thick and fast the fifty came up in the eighth over without loss. Just as both openers were looking set for big scores, Weeks missed out on a straight full toss and turned to see his off bail thumping to the turf. The first wicket adding 82 in only 12 overs. Neil Brown (13) played himself in with a succession of singles before being caught trying to force the issue. Lowing from the sidelines announced the arrival of Terry Barnes who struggled initially before a couple found the middle of the bat and raced to the boundary. By this stage Pillinger had brought up the first fifty of the season with a 3 to the longest boundary. He went on to reach 71 before being bowled. This brought Craig White to the wicket who was off the mark with a four and showed the full face of the bat throughout before being bowled for 18. Hamish MacBean didn’t hang around long enough to waste the scorer’s ink, dollying a catch third ball. With Barnes attempting one big hit too many and holing out on the boundary for 66 it was left to Richard Ireland (20*) and Kevin Moore (8) to nudge the score up to 258. By contrast the Long Ashton innings never got going in the face of accurate bowling from the new ball pairing of Moore and Chris Bailey. It soon became clear that the visitors had no intention of mounting a serious chase and so the hunt was on for bonus points. Despite the accuracy of the attack, Bedminster were unable to make the break through until Bailey brought one back to knock over the stumps and send Dunn back for 19. Not to be outdone, in the very next over Moore gained revenge for being launched back over his head for a big six by bowling Orch around his legs. With the score staggering along to 67-2 after 22 overs, Bedminster resorted to the dreaded drinks break which brought immediate reward, in the first over after the resumption when leg spinner MacBean struck twice in two balls. Thereafter wickets were hard to come by, with the visitors showing no intention of making a game of it. Sam Knapp, making his debut bowled full and straight and was unlucky to go wicketless. Thereafter Pillinger turned to himself, Brown and Weeks to try and break the deadlock by tossing the ball up. Weeks gained partial success with two wickets, however Bedminster were unable to force the issue as the game went flat. The innings eventually petering out with the score on 157-6, to give Bedminster victory by 101 runs. Bedminster 2nd XI: 258-7 (45 overs) Pillinger 71, Barnes 66 Long Ashton 2nd XI: 157-6 (45 overs) Tanner 59* Weeks 2-6, MacBean 2-31 Bedminster (24 points) beat Long Ashton (7) by 101 runs